Life jacket



Dec. 26, 1950 R. E. sTARN 2,535,874

LIFE JACKET Filed Nov. 7, 1947 s sheets-sheet 1 INVIE'NTOR.

Dec. 26, 1950 R. E. sTARN 2,535,374

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ATTD R N EYE Patented Dec. 26, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My present invention relates to an improved life preserver of the type designed to be quickly and easily donned as a jacket and being lled with buoyant material will float the person wearing the jacket in the event of an emergency requiring the person to enter the water.

The preserver of my invention consists in a closed body encircling portion and an integral shoulder strap to support the body portion about the upper section of the body. With the single integral strap the jacket may be quickly slipped over the head and the strap will insure the jacket retaining its position. However if desired a detachable strap for the other shoulder may be employed.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention according to the best mode I have thus far devised, but it will be understood that various changes and alterations may be made in the exemplified structure within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the device of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view.

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of a modied form.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the auxiliary strap arrangement.

Referring now to the drawings wherein I have illustrated the present preferred embodiment of my invention I have shown a jacket comprising the cloth cover 2 lled with a buoyant material 4 and stitched at E to form compartments or sections 8. There are two groups of sections one group to be applied to the front of the body and the other group to be applied to the rear or back of the body.

At the ends of the two groups of sections I utilize exible webs I0 and the adjoining sections of the front and rear groups are provided with elastic bands I2 so that the circumference of the jacket is variable to t snugly upon diierent sized wearers.

The jacket also includes an integral strap portion I4 at one side of the jacket forming a smaller opening I6, and the jacket is slipped over the head of the wearer, his body and left arm passing through the open bottom and top of the jacket,

and the right arm passing through the open bottom and the opening I6.

The strap I4 is provided with a hinge web I8.

and it will be apparent that the jacket when not in use may be folded fiat by means of the webs I0, and the hinge I8. Guide loops 20 retain the elastic webs in position and the jacket when donned will be securely retained on the body of the wearer without additional support.

However should the wearer be timid or reticent about the single strap support, I have shown in Figs. 5 through 7, a jacket having a strap 22 for the left shoulder provided with a looped tape 2d for the eye 26 of snap hook 28 which may be detachably engaged with ring 30 secured by tape 32 to the front group of the jacket sections.

Normally the front group will contain the greater portion of the buoyant material so that an unconscious person will iioat face up and it will appear that under normal conditions of emergency of the jacket may be swiftly and easily put on and it will stay in position regardless of any physical exertion by the wearer.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A life preserver comprising a body encircling portion formed of conned sections of buoyant material in two groups one group engaging the iront of the body and the other group engaging the rear of the body, eXible connections between the end sections oi said groups, elastic webs normally contracting the said connections, guide loops for said webs secured to said end sections in pairs in diametrically opposed relation to each other, and an integral shoulder strap extending from the group engaging the front of the body to the group engaging the rear of the body, and an auxiliary shoulder strap integral with the group engaging the rear of the body and detachable hook means for securing the strap to the group engaging the front of the body.

ROY E. STARN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'IENTS Number Name Date 1,270,686 Beaumont June 25, 1918 1,723,402 Browdy Aug. 6, 1929 1,788,480 Bond et al. Jan. 13, 1931 2,329,093 Sommers et a1. Sept. 7, 1943 2,331,301 Brown Oct. 12, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS u Number Country Date 3,943 Great Britain of 1895 

